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HISTORICAL.

We have hitherto traced the course of events in Shakspere's History of Richard II. by the aid of the Chronicles.' Froissart was a contemporary of Richard; and in the days of the king's prosperity had presented him with a book "fair enlumined and written," of which, when the king demanded whereof it treated, the maker of histories "shewed him how it treated matters of love, whereof the king was glad, and looked in it, and read it in many places, for he could speak and read French very well." Holinshed was, in another sense, a "maker of histories." He compiled, and that admirably well, from those who had written before him; and he was properly Shakspere's great authority for the incidents which he dramatized. But we have now to turn to one of the most remarkable documents that affords materials for the history of any period-the narrative of an eye-witness of what took place from the period when Richard, being in Ireland, received the news of Bolingbroke's landing, to the time when the king was utterly prostrate at the feet of the man whom he had banished and plundered. All the historians have been greatly indebted to this narrative. It is entitled 'Histoire du Roy d'Angleterre Richard, traictant particulierement la Rebellion de ses subiectz et prinse dé sa personne. Composee par un gentlehom'e Francois de marque, qui fut a la suite du dict Roy, avecq permission du Roy de France, 1399. The most beautiful, and, apparently, the earliest copy of this manuscript is in the British Museum. It contains sixteen illuminations, in which the identity of the portraits and of the costume is preserved throughout. It appears to have been the property of Charles of Anjou, Count of Maine, and formed part of the Harleian collection. Another manuscript of the same history, which is in the library at Lambeth, was that consulted and quoted by the early historians, and it is called, by Holinshed, "A French Pamphlet that belongeth to Master John Dee:" the name of John Dee, with the date 1575, appears in the last leaf. The author of the 'Metrical History' informs us, in his title, that he was "Un gentilhom'e Francois de marque;" and, when brought before Bolingbroke, the writer says of himself and his companion, "The herald told him, in the English language, that

HISTORIES.-VOL. I.

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The author of the 'Metrical History,' with his companion, "in the year one thousand and four hundred save one, quitted Paris, full of joy;" and, travelling late and early, reached London. He found that Richard had set out, anxious to journey day and night. He followed him to Milford Haven, where "he waited ten days for the north-wind, and passed his time pleasantly amidst trumpets and the sounds of minstrelsy." The king had proceeded to Waterford, whither the French knight at length followed him. Six days afterwards the king took the field, with the English, for Kilkenny, whence, after a fortnight's delay, he marched directly towards Mac-more (the Irish chieftain) into the depths of the deserts, who, with his wild men-Shakspere's "rough, rug-headed kerns"-defied England and its power. The usual accompaniment of war was not wanting on this occasion :-"Orders were given by the king that every thing should be set fire to." Neither were the pageantries of chivalry,—the gilding of the horrors,-absent from this expedition. Henry of Monmouth, the son of Bolingbroke, being then eleven years old, was with the king; and Richard knighted him, making, at the same time, eight or ten other knights. The English army appears to have suffered greatly from the want of provisions. A negociation took place with Mac-more, which ended in nothing. The king's face grew pale with anger, and he sware, in great wrath, by St. Edward, that no, never, would he depart from Ireland till, alive or dead, he had Macmore in his power. The want of provisions dislodged the army and drove them to Dublin, where, for six weeks, they lived "easy of body as fish in Seine." No news came from England. The winds were contrary. At last, "a barge arrived, which was the occasion of much sorrow." Those who came in her related to the king how Scrope was beheaded by Bolingbroke-how the people had been stirred to insurrection-how

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the invader had taken towns and castles for his own. "It seemed to me," says the French knight, "that the king's face at this turned pale with anger, while he said, 'Come hither, friends. Good Lord, this man designs to deprive me of my country.' Richard consulted his council on a Saturday, and they agreed to put to sea on the next Monday. The king, however, according to this writer, was deceived and betrayed by Aumerle, who persuaded him to remain himself, and send Salisbury to raise the Welch against Bolingbroke. The French knight and his companion departed with Salisbury, and landed at Conway. Salisbury raised, it seems, forty thousand men within four days. The earl kept them in the field a fortnight; but they then deserted him, as Shakspere has represented, because they heard "no tidings from the king." He "tarried eighteen days," says the French knight, "after our departure from Ireland. It was very great folly."

The Metrical History' now proceeds to the events which followed the landing of Richard upon the Welch coast. "He did not stop there," says the history, "considering the distress, complaints, and lamentations of the poor people, and the mortal alarm of all. Then he resolved that, without saying a word, he would set out at midnight from his host, attended by a few persons, for he would on no account be discovered. In that place he clad himself in another garb, like a poor priest of the Minors (Franciscans), for the fear that he had of being known of his foes. . . . . Thus the king set out that very night, with only thirteen others, and arrived, by break of day, at Conway." He here met Salisbury. "At the meeting of the king and the earl, instead of joy, there was very great sorrow. Tears, lamentations, sighs, groans, and mourning, quickly broke forth. Truly it was a piteous sight to behold their looks and countenances, and woeful meeting. The earl's face was pale with watching. He related to the king his hard fate." Aumerle, the constable, according to this writer, basely went off with the king's men-his last hope. "The king continued all sorrowful at Conway, where he had no more with them than two or three of his intimate friends, sad and distressed. . . . . Reckoning nobles and other persons, we were but sixteen in all." From Conway they went to Beaumaris, and thence to Carnarvon. "In his castles, to which he retired, there was no furniture, nor had he any

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thing to lie down upon but straw. lay in this manner for four or six nights; for, in truth, not a farthing's worth of victuals or anything else was to be found in them." In consequence of this poverty the king returned to Conway. The 'Metrical History' then details, at considerable length, and with great spirit and circumstantiality, the remarkable incident of Northumberland entrapping Richard to leave Conway, so that he might convey him as his prisoner to Flint Castle. "This is one of the instances," says Mr. Courtenay ('Shakspere's Historical Plays considered Historically"), "in which a more minute knowledge of history might have furnished Shakspere with some good scenes and further discriminations of character." One would suppose, from this remark, that the account of the meeting between Northumberland and the king at Conway, and the king's agreement, upon Northumberland's assurances of safety, to go with him to Flint, was unrecorded by the chronicler whom Shakspere is known to have consulted. Holinshed relates this affair with great distinctness; and he moreover gives an account of the ambush described by the French knight. We must, therefore, conclude that Shakspere knew his own business as a dramatist in the omission of the scene. The passage is also given very fully in Stow; and is versified by Daniel in his 'Civil Warres.'

"In the castle of Flint," says the 'Metrical History,' "King Richard awaited the coming of the Duke of Lancaster, who set out from the city of Chester on Tuesday, the 22nd of August, with the whole of his force." King Richard, "having heard mass, went up upon the walls of the castle, which are large and wide in the inside, beholding the Duke of Lancaster as he came along the sea-shore with all his host." Messengers came from Henry to Richard, and an interview took place between them. Shakspere has made Northumberland the negotiator on this occasion, as he really was at Conway. "The king went up again upon the walls, and saw that the army was two bow-shots from the castle; then he, together with those that were with him, began anew great lamentation." At length Lancaster entered the castle. "Then they made the king, who had dined in the donjon, come down to meet Duke Henry, who, as soon as he perceived him at a distance, bowed very low to the ground; and, as they approached each other, he bowed a second time, with his cap in his hand; and then the king took off his bonnet, and spake

first in this manner: Fair cousin of Lancaster, thumberland and Richard "out of Master Dee's you be right welcome.' Then Duke Henry re- book." Holinshed thus describes the interplied, bowing very low to the ground, My lord, view:-"Forthwith as the duke got sight of the I am come sooner than you sent for me: the king, he shewed a reverend duty, as became reason wherefore I will tell you. The common him, in bowing his knee; and, in coming forward, report of your people is such, that you have for did so likewise the second and third time, till the space of twenty or two and twenty years, the king took him by the hand, and lift him up, governed them very badly and very rigorously, saying, 'Dear cousin, ye are welcome.' The and in so much that they are not well con- duke, humbly thanking him, said, 'My sovereign tented therewith. But if it please our Lord I lord and king, the cause of my coming at this will help you to govern them better than they present, is (your honor saved) to have again have been governed in time past.' King Richard restitution of my person, my lands, and heritage, then answered him, 'Fair cousin, since it pleaseth through your favourable license.' The king you, it pleaseth us well.' And be assured that hereunto answered, 'Dear cousin, I am ready to these are the very words that they two spake to- accomplish your will, so that ye may enjoy all gether, without taking away or adding anything: that is yours, without exception.'" Shakspere's for I heard and understood them very well." This version of the scene appears to lie between the version of the remarkable dialogue between two extremes of Bolingbroke's defiance, as reBolingbroke and Richard is not given by Holin- corded by the French knight, and copied by shed, although he quotes all the substance of Stow; and of his assumed humility, as described what had previously taken place between Nor- by Holinshed.

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20 SCENE I. "And there, at Venice, gave His body to that pleasant country's earth."

ACT IV.

THE remains of Thomas Mowbray were interred in St. Mark's Church, in Venice, A.D. 1399; but his ashes were removed to England in 1533. The slab which originally covered these remains at the latter end of the seventeenth century stood under the gallery of the ducal palace; and the arms of Thomas Mowbray being very

elaborately engraven upon it, the stone was described, by an Italian writer in 1682, as a Venetian hieroglyphic. By the indefatigable inquiries of Mr. Rawdon Brown, an English gentleman residing in Venice, this most curious monument was traced, in 1839, to the possession of a stonemason; and it has been sent to England, and is now safe in the custody of Mr. Howard, of Corby.

HISTORICAL.

The fourth Act of Shakspere's history of Rich- | stable, and St. Alban's, the army reached within ard II.' opens with the assembly of Bolingbroke and the peers in Parliament. The entry of the triumphant Henry of Lancaster and the captive king into London is reserved by the poet for the unequalled description by York to his Duchess, in the fifth Act. But, as we are following the course of real events, we will very briefly describe the proceedings between the surrender of Richard at Flint Castle and his deposition.

After the interview between Richard and Bolingbroke, the author of the Metrical History' thus proceeds: "The said Duke Henry called aloud with a stern and savage voice, Bring out the king's horses,' and then they brought him two little horses that were not worth forty francs. The king mounted one, and the Earl of Salisbury the other." Henry, with his captives, set out from Flint, and proceeded to Chester, where they stayed three days. The duke then dismissed many of his followers, saying that thirty or forty thousand men would be sufficient to take the king to London. At Lichfield, the unhappy Richard attempted to escape by night, letting himself down into a garden through a window of his tower. The French knight goes on to record that a deputation arrived from London, to request Henry, on the part of the Commons, to cut off the king's head; to which Henry replied, "Fair Sirs, it would be a very great disgrace to us for ever if we should thus put him to death; but we will bring him to London, and there he shall be judged by the Parliament." Proceeding by Coventry, Daventry, Northampton, Dun

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six miles of London. Here the cavalcade was met by the Mayor, accompanied by a very great number of the Commons. "They paid much greater respect," says the writer, "to Duke Henry than to the king, shouting with a loud and fearful voice, 'Long live the Duke of Lancaster.'" Richard was taken, according to this relation, to Westminster. Henry, who entered the city at the hour of vespers, 'alighted at St. Paul's, and went all armed before the High Altar to make his orisons. He returned by the tomb of his father, which is very nigh to the said altar, and there he wept very much, for he had never seen it since his father had been laid there." The personal narrative of the French knight here closes; the remainder of his narrative being given on the faith of another person, a clerk. From Westminster Richard was removed to the Tower. The Parliament, which began on the 13th September, drew up thirtythree "Articles objected to King Richard, whereby he was counted worthy to be deposed from his principality."

The scene of fiery contention in Westminster Hall, with which this Act opens, follows the chroniclers very literally. Shakspere has, however, placed this remarkable exhibition of vindictive charges and recriminations before the deposition of Richard. It took place after Henry's coronation. The protest of the Bishop of Carlisle, whom Holinshed calls “a bold bishop and a faithful," also, according to most authorities, followed the deposition. It is stated to have been made on a request from the Commons

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